Concrete may be a widely used engineering material in the world. It is estimated that the present world consumption of concrete may be 11 billion metric tons per year. Concrete refers to a composite material of a binding medium having particles or fragments of aggregate embedded therein. In most construction concretes employed, the binding medium typically is formed from a mixture of a hydraulic cement and water. Typically, most of the hydraulic cements employed today are based upon Portland cement. Portland cement is made primarily from limestone, certain clay minerals, and gypsum in a high temperature process that drives off carbon dioxide and chemically combines the primary ingredients into new compounds. The energy required to fire the mixture may consume about 4 GJ per ton of cement produced. Because carbon dioxide is generated by both the cement production process itself, as well as by energy plants that generate power to run the production process, cement production is typically a leading source of carbon dioxide atmospheric emissions. It is estimated that cement plants account for 5% of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Additionally, cement plants produce other pollutants like NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates and mercury. Cement plants also produce cement kiln dust (CKD), which need to be land filled, often in hazardous materials landfill sites. As global warming, pollution, and ocean acidification become an increasing problem and the desire to reduce carbon dioxide gas emissions (a principal cause of global warming) continues, there exists a need for more environment friendly methods to produce cement or concrete.